Mind the Gap

The 1995 Constitution of the Republic of Uganda is one of the most gender sensitive constitutions in the world, with clear provisions for promoting and protecting the rights of women. This is also the case in relation to women’s land rights – the Constitution clearly vests land in the people of Uganda, including the rights of women to own and inherit land. Other land laws, including the Land Act, recognize and uphold women’s rights to land as individuals, and as part of a family or community. Importantly, the National Land Policy reinforces and provides strategies to actualize these rights.

While a gender responsive constitution provides a strong legal foundation, it does little to help women, without a well coordinated land governance process that reaches women in an affordable and systematic manner. It is critical therefore that gender responsive principles are systematically applied in the formalization process of customary land in Uganda to ensure that gender inequality and land tenure insecurity are diminished rather than concretized. It is crucial that Certificates of Customary Land Ownership (CCOs) are equally distributed to women to protect their rights, their well being and their futures.